Before the 49ers routed the Rams 35-11 on Thursday night, we had a two-game reminder that Colin Kaepernick is still closer to a rookie quarterback than a polished passer. The 49ers also remembered that in St. Louis, and that’s what got him out of his mini slump.

It wasn’t the prettiest of performances by Kaepernick (15 of 23, 167 yards, 2 TDs), not close to what he did to the Packers in Week 1. Once again, the read option and his running ability (3 rushes, 11 yards) wasn’t a real factor.

Colin Kaepernick was 15-for-23 for 167 yards and two touchdowns in the victory. (AP Photo)

But credit Jim Harbaugh and San Francisco’s coaching staff for learning that the dynamic dual threat on which the team leaned during last season’s run to the Super Bowl now needed something on which to lean.

It’s easy to forget Kapernick has made only 14 NFL starts, including playoffs. Much of that stems from how he spoiled us with his veteran-like confidence and strong, accurate passing to match during his late 2012 breakout.

This year, Kaepernick is going through a major adjustment as defenses have keyed on taking away his explosive rushing potential. Some young quarterbacks couldn’t handle that all; for Kaepernick, it’s just a bit of an expected hiccup. The 49ers took the hard lesson of being out-muscled by the Colts and Seahawks the past two weeks and turned it around into their own, simple run-heavy offensive game plan against the Rams.

When the 49ers’ offensive linemen and additional blockers are on like they were in St. Louis, there’s no group better. Frank Gore was right; they didn’t stick with the run enough vs. Indianapolis, and the proof was in giving Gore a 20-carry load which he turned into 153 of his team’s 219 rushing yards in St. Louis.

It set up Kaepernick back to not needing to try to too do much, which he can’t while Anquan Boldin is his only reliable wide receiver and Vernon Davis isn’t at full speed as his top tight end. The tendency of a young quarterback as talented as Kaepernick is the belief he can do everything, which is what leads to mistakes from overconfidence.

While Kaepernick grows and adjusts, he has the luxury of a fine supporting cast to carry him through. The 49ers know their passing offense is in a bit of a holding pattern until Kaepernick’s favorite target from a year ago, Michael Crabtree, can return from a torn Achilles’ later in the season. Steady line play, one seasoned workhorse back and two savvy pass-catchers might not seem like a lot, but when it’s what the 49ers have, it’s a huge boost for Kaepernick.

Just look at Kapernick’s counterpart on Thursday, the Rams’ Sam Bradford. Bradford hasn’t really taken any Kaepernick-like big steps despite going on his fourth NFL season. It looked like a revamped line, more skilled receivers and some fresher legs in the backfield would help this season, but Bradford remains stuck in neutral.

Kaepernick was operating at such a high gear through the second half of 2012, he was bound to shift down a little. The 49ers just need to keep giving him tuneups until he’s in position to accelerate again.